Motor-vehicle.



No. 627,503. Patented lune 27, |899.

J, D. HUMPHREY.

MDTUR VEHICLE.

(Applation filed Feb. 9, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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J.l D. HUMPHREY.

MUTOR VEHICLE.

(Application led Feb. 9, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2- lNo Model.)

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UNITED .STATES PATENT FEICE.

.IOIAIN D. I-IUMPIIREY, OE NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOE OE ONE- IIALE To FRANK II. AEEOED AND JOIIN E. CUEEAN, or SAME PLACE, AND JAMES I. CUERAN, or IIOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ylvloToR-vIaI-l IOLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Ilettersdatent No. 627,503, dated J une 27, 1899. Applieationiiled February 9, 1399. Serial No, 705,033. (No model.)

To all whom t may. concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. HUMPIIREY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New Britain,in the County of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mol by its titleto wit,- the production of a vehicle driven by a motor carried thereby.

In the accompanying drawings the letters o, ct', o2, and a3 denote parts of what may be called the vehicle-frame.

2o The letter b denotes the forward axle, a swinging axle bearing Wheels t for guiding the vehicle in its travel.

The letter c denotes a gear-segment fast to a shaft c', stepped in a pillow-block c, mounted on the frame directly above the king-bolt of the axle b.

The letter d denotes another gear-segment carried by a long yoke vpassing laterally over the frame and turned downward and forward 3o at its ends, which are made fast to the axle b.

The letter e denotes a .vertical idle shaft properly supported from the vehicle-frame, carrying a gear e',which meshes into the gearsegment c, and another gear e2, which meshes into the gear-segment d. There is an operating-handle H on the upper end of the Shaft c, by the manipulation of which the operator can swing the axle b as he chooses and guide the travel of the vehicle accordingly.

4o The letter f denotes a rotary counter-shaft driven by gears m from and by the motor M, not particularlyY described herein. On each end of it is a clutch mechanism each composed of the clutch parts g and g', the former of which has a short longitudinally-sliding motion on the shaft f and is provided with a cone adapted to cooperate with a conical socket in the clutchpart g. It will be understood that when this cone and cone socket are brought into firm Contact the rotary motion 5o of part g is communicated to the part g, but that when they are separated this rotary motion fails to be thus communicated. It is a matter of Course that while the clutch parts g have the before-mentioned sliding motion on the shaftf, they at the same time must rotate therewith.

The letter h denotes the handle to each of two levers h', pivoted on the frame and which control the said meshing and intermeshing 6o motions of the clutch parts g. Y

Each clutch part g is practically integral with a sprocket-wheel t', from which the sprocket-chains 7e communicate rotary motion to the sprocket-wheels l. The latter are clipped 6 5 and iixed to the sides of the traction-wheels m, which are loose on the fixed axle n, duly attached to the vehicle-frame.

The use and operation of the motor-vehicle is apparent from the description already 7o given. It is apparent that the traction-Wheels may be given rotation under power either separately or simultaneously, a fact that is of importance in traveling on curves. The use of the conical intermeshin g surfaces of the clutch mechanisms, While effective for the purpose in hand, prevents that sudden Starting of the parts in rotation which is liable to break them. Moreover, when the operator desires to leave the vehicle in safety, as for 8o the night, he has but to unship the shaft c' and segment c and carry them with him, and in their absence no unauthorized person can steer the vehicle. Again the use of this segment with the large and small gears e2 e ne- 85 cessitates only a Small movement of the handle H to S-wing the front shaft to a consider-l able degree.

I claim as my improvementl. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with 9o the vehicle-frame, the motor, the fixed axle carrying the traction-wheels, connections between the motor and wheels, and means for controlling such connections; of a swinging axle having the steering-wheels, a yoke having its downturned ends attached to this axle and its center passing over the frame and carrying a gear-segment, a shaft j ournaled'in gear-segment, a shaft journaled in the frame and having a handle, a second gear-segment fast on this shaft, an idle shaft, and large and small gears fast thereon and respectively I5 engaging the yoke-segment and the second segment, as and for the purpose Set forth.

JOHN D. HUMPHREY.

lVtnesses:

F. H. ALFORD, F. M. ZIMMERMAN. 

